Fifty-two Days, Fourteen Hours
by sophk
Summary: "FBI team had found her naked and chained to a wall" That is the introduction to this sometime dark story. It takes a look at the back story of a survivor, with a connection to Hotch. The story has insight to the events that made Hotch so serious. Also, investigates a current case. Opinions appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**_Fifty-two Days, Fourteen Hours_**

**Having courage does not mean we are unafraid. Having courage and **

**showing courage mean we face our fears. We are able to say, I have fallen, but I will get up.**

**__ Maya Angelou __**

As he turn in the lane to her house, Dave is thinking about the first time he met Madison. It was thirteen years ago, that he and a FBI team had found her naked and chained to the wall. It seemed like a lifetime ago. He parks in front of the house, and looks at the beautiful view of the lake. No wonder she lives here, he thought, it is so peaceful. He walks on the porch and rings the doorbell. No answer, he rings, again. Just then he hears a voice, "Well, David Rossi. How in the hell are you?" He turns and sees Madison standing there smiling. He walks down the steps and hugs her. "I'm fine, how are you?" he asks. "Good, come on in." she said. As she opens the door, they are greeted by a freshly groomed schnauzer, "That's Izzy. Iz back up." Dave smiles, "Beautiful dog." She got them ice teas and they sat on the back patio overlooking the lake. "This is a beautiful, I can see why you live here. I was sorry to hear about your Dad. He was a good man." Dave told her. "Thank you. Yes, he was. He loved it here. It took me a long time to understand why. Dave, as much as I would love to believe this is just a visit, I know that there is more to it. What do you need?" she asks. He had consulted with her a few times in the past on cases.

"You know me, too well. A body of a woman was found three nights ago at Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Another young woman has been missing from the area for five days. The victim had multi-burn marks on her body. They were crosshair symbols. She had been missing for two months. The victim had been raped and tortured during that time." He paused, waiting for any reaction. Madison stared at him.

"That can't be, Jenkins is dead." She looked at him in disbelief. "Dave, you killed him. How could this happen?" she asks.

"We know it is a copycat, an admirer. But, we thought maybe you could be of help with the profile. You have an insight that no one else has. I wouldn't ask you to do this, but we really need your help." He told her.

She turns her head away, and rubbed her fingers on her forehead. "I don't know. I don't know if I can be of any help. It was a long time ago. I may not have anything to add." Madison said with tears in her eyes.

"You can help us. Even the smallest detail is important." He said. "When do you need me?" she questioned. "I can get the team together as soon as you're ready." He tells her. "Well, I need to pack and make arrangements for Izzy." She said thinking about what she needed to do. "Bring her, you two can stay at my house." He tells her. "Are you sure? I still have the brownstone." She asks. "You will stay with at my house. You don't want to make the drive in to the District. Plus, it will give us time to catch up. What time should I expect you?" Dave asks. She looks at her watch, "Around three; would that work?" She asks. Dave nods his head. They walk back to his car he hugs her bye. "Well, I will see you at 3:00." He tells her and leaves. She and Izzy head into the house to pack.

On the drive home, he calls Hotch, "She's going to help and god, I hated to ask. But, she said yes. Call the team and let's meet around 4:00." He tells him. "I will get in touch with them. Dave, how is she?" Hotch asks. "She seems good. I was always amazed at how strong Madison is; I still am. I'm just hoping this isn't going to bring back too many memories." Dave said. "See you at 4:00." Hotch told him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Madison pulls up in front of Dave's house, he walks out to greet her. "Hi, Dave, nice little house you have." She teased. "Had to put the money from the books somewhere. Where's Izzy?" He questioned. "I left her with a friend." She smiled. "Come on I will show you to your room." They went up stairs.

After she got settled in, they set out on the patio and talked. "Are you sure you want do this?" he asks. "I am. You know the only thing I'm concern about is I don't want to be seen as a victim. I'm a survivor. Not a victim." Madison said. "The team won't look at you as a victim. They will be able to tell how strong you are. You haven't asked about Aaron?" He said.

"What is there to ask? I know if there was something I needed to know you would tell me. What happen between the two of us was a long time ago? It's in the past." She tells him. "How do you know, you haven't seen him in thirteen years." Dave said. "I just don't want you to shut him out. We should go."

Around 3:45, Rossi and Madison walked in to the BAU and up to his office. "Wait here." He said. He walked into conference room, "We are here. Thought you may want to speak with her first." Rossi said. Hotch shakes his head and says, "I probably should."

He walked over to Dave's office and knock on the door. "Come in." Madison said. He walks in she is standing looking out the window. "Hasn't changed much since I was here last." She turns and smiles at him. "Hi, how are you?" He asks. "I'm good. It's been a long time, Aaron. You look good." She said. "So, do you. I hear you have been keeping yourself busy." He said. "I just got back from Rome, taught a six week course in profiling." She told him. "Well, the team should be here soon. Are you ready to meet with them?" He asks sounding concerned. "I am. At first, I wasn't sure, but after thinking about it I can do it. Do they know my story?" Madison asks. "No, we haven't told them, anything. Shall we go." She follows him to the round table; they grab a cup of coffee on the way.

They walked in, JJ, Morgan and Reid were already seated at the table. Rossi and Madison take a seat, he leaned over and said, "I had Garcia pull your files." She smiled "Thank you." A few minutes later, everyone was gathered at the table.

Hotch was standing, "Sorry, to call you in on a Sunday evening, but we have a case. The current case is very similar to killings that happened in this area from 1998 through 2001. Bruce Jenkins was the serial responsible for those. He would kidnap and keep his victims for up to three months. He was killed in 2001. We believe this unsub is copying him. Because of this we have brought in a consultant to help with the profile, this is Madison Kincade." He said. Garcia gasps as she realizes that Madison Kincade was the name on the file that she pulled for Rossi.

"Hotch, why don't you let me take it from here, with a little help from Garcia." Madison tells him. She stood up. "Hello, it is nice finally to meet this team. I have heard very good things about all of you. I was ask to consult on this case because I have a unique perspective; I was Bruce Jenkins last victim." They all looked surprise. "Let me give you a brief overview. On June 4, 2001, I was a young FBI agent and I was sent on assignment to Washington Correctional, up state New York to conduct an interview with a prisoner about a federal case. About thirty minute from the facility, I stopped at a gas station." Garcia puts up a picture of the gas station on the screen. "The grey sedan" Madison pointed to the car. "was the car I was driving. This was the where Bruce Jenkins kidnapped me. He used a stun gun and then drugged me. He took me to a building somewhere in the woods; during that time I was raped, tortured and beaten in some way daily. I was held captive by Jenkins for fifty-two days and fourteen hours, until a team of FBI agents, lead by David Rossi rescued me. So, hopefully I can help you find the unsub.

Garcia, put some of the photos up on the screen if you would." Madison told the team. "That is a photo of me when I graduated from the Academy, god, I was so young." She laughed, the team smiled. "And, this is the photo that was taken of me the day I was found. I weighed ninety-two pounds, suffered from dehydration, starvation, drug addition, cuts, bruises and too many infections to list. These are close-ups of some of my wounds. We have to find this missing girl. If the unsub is copying Jenkins, she is in hell now and will be until we find her."

It took a couple of minutes for the team to absorb what they had just been told. Then Hotch took a deep breath and said "Garcia, the current case." Garcia took a breath, "So far, we have two victims. The first, Mary Woods, 25, taken March 10th, as she left the diner where she was a waitress. Her body was found April 23rd, along State Route 9." Garcia pull the photos of the body, "As you can see she was tortured with cuts, and burns on most of her body; and she was raped and sodomized." Garcia said with tears forming in her eyes. "The last one, is missing, Jane Ryder, 23, she was taken five days ago from the Wendy's parking lot in Blue Mountain. She was traveling by herself to Albany from Plattsburgh. She is a senior at the State University. Her sister talked to her at around 2:15 in the afternoon. Her car was found in a parking lot at 11:15 that night. Her family had already reported her missing. The police found her purse and belongings still in the car."

"How many burns did the first victim have and did she have drugs in her system?" Madison asks. Garcia shook her head, "Oxycodone, the ME said it was probably given to her daily and also zolpidem. Which is generic ambien. As far as the number of burns twenty-four, the last one on her arm was postmortem." Rossi stated, "That combination of drugs, would make her easy to control."

"Did the Medical Examiner note how deep the burns are? By the scar, it looks like it was done with a small object." Reid asks. "Nothing in the ME report." Garcia said. "The branding iron used was about one inch in diameter and about a quarter of an inch in depth. Garcia, put up the pictures of my burns, please." Madison said. Garcia brings up the photos. "They look identical to mine." She said as she stand up and turn her back to Reid, she lift the back of her top to reveal a burn scar. "You can tell from the scarring it was about a quarter of an inch deep. I had twenty-one burns, he would take away the drugs on the burn days, he wanted me to feel the pain. I had all of the scars removed over the years, except for this one. I never want to totally forget what I survived." She said and sits back down. Rossi puts his hand on her arm. "I'm fine." She whispers.

"It is a crosshairs symbol." Reid said. "He could be saying that these women are his targets." Madison adds, "I always thought, it meant that he could kill me anytime he wanted. It was one way to show his power." Morgan asks, "Rossi, was the branding iron recovered, when Jenkins was killed?" Rossi shook his head, "No, we checked his cabin, didn't find it."

Rossi suggests, "Tell them about the boy." Madison cleared her throat and started, "During the time I was held, a boy, approximately eleven, maybe a little older, came in with Jenkins at times. Never talked much, Jenkins called him _boy_. He was only there maybe four times, at least that I can remember, I was usually drugged. One day, toward the end of my captivity he brought me an apple. I can still remember, the smell and the taste of that apple. Sorry, sensory memories sometimes flow back."

"This boy would now be mid-twenty he could be our unsub. Did any relatives turn up in the first investigation?" Morgan asks. "No, we ran searches for family, and friends. There were no close neighbors. We came to the conclusion, it could have been the son of someone he seeing at the time or possibly another victim's son. We never could identify him." Rossi answered. "How many woman did Jenkins kill?" JJ asks. "We identified six, but found a box containing eleven pairs of women's shoes in various sizes." Rossi answered. "The bastard had a shoe fetish." Morgan stated.

Hotch looked at his watch, "It is almost 7:00, let's take a break and have some dinner." They place their orders, the food is on its way. While they are waiting they get to know each other.

Morgan asks, "Are you still with the FBI?" Madison smiled, "No, at the moment, I'm an independent consultant for law enforcements agencies. Sounds really impressive, doesn't it? Agencies, including the FBI, contract me to do consultations on cases, teach classes, and lecture at seminars." Rossi added, "And I know that the Bureau has attempted to get you back." Madison smiled, "That's true. But, what I'm doing is really sweet. I have taught in London, Rome, Paris, and I get to choose where I want to go and what I want to work on. So, far I have been enjoying it."

The food is delivered, as they are eating. They ask some very gentle questions about her experience. Finally, Madison said, "Please, don't be afraid about asking me any questions. That experience made me a better agent and a better profiler. I got to study a psychopath up close for seven weeks. I learned things I could have never learned in a classroom. It helped me understand some of their patterns and their needs."

After they finished dinner, Reid asks. "In what ways, did it help you in profiling?" Madison shook her head. "An example would be," she paused for a moment, "I had only been an agent for about a year, didn't have a lot of field experience. I was at the top of my class; I knew that the definition of a sadist. But, actually seeing one in action, is an entirely different thing. Jenkins fit the definition of a sadist. He would drug me and then cut me with his knife, small cuts, not too deep. There wouldn't be pain, until the drugs started wearing off. When I started to go through withdraw, he would pour alcohol, other chemicals, that would burn in the cuts. Being in withdraw would amplify my pain. He would sit in the room watching me go through this intense pain, drink a beer, masturbate and laugh. That's a sadist." Hotch gets up and leaves the room everyone else is speechless. "So, now when I read a file listing the unsub as a sadist that comes to mind and I know how important it is to stop him." Madison said. "And I know that he won't stop until we catch him, he will just escalate."

"How long did it take you to recover?" JJ asks. "After I was found, I was in the hospital for about a month, they were just trying to get me healthy and make sure all of my organs were functioning. Once I was release from there, I tried, outpatient treatment, but couldn't do it. Wasn't just for the drugs, I need mental and emotional support. I needed to have an understanding of why this happened to me, I checked myself in rehab for six-months. That was long enough for me to deal with most of my demons." Madison tells them. "Then I did a lot of out patient therapy. It took me a little over two years to regain a somewhat normal life."

"After everything you went through, you still wanted to do this job? How? Why?" Garcia asks. "As I said, it took a couple of years for me to get healthy, both physically and emotionally. Then one day, I got a call from a former instructor from the Academy, he wanted to visit me. He brought a case file and asks me to take a look at it. Six girls had been killed in a small town in California; he wanted my opinion on it. I wrote up a report, he said it helped with the case. And as much as I hated to admit it, I missed the work. He consulted with me again on a few cases, and would occasionally refer other agencies to me when they needed help. That's how it all started." Madison shared with the team.

"For the record, it wasn't me. I had retired at that point. Everyone should take a break. I'm sure Hotch will be ready to start back in soon." Rossi said as he left the room.

Most took a restroom break, or called home; Madison walked down to the break room and got a bottle of water. Reid walked over to her "It was Gideon, wasn't it?" she looked at him. "He was the instructor that called you. He told me one time, that in all the students he had taught at the Academy, he had only had one that had an innate talent for profiling. He was talking about you, wasn't he?" He asks. Madison smiled and then said, "We better get back and I'm sure Hotch is almost ready to start."

Rossi walk over to Hotch's office. He goes in. "You okay?" Rossi asks. "Yeah, I just couldn't listen to what she went through, anymore. I keep thinking, I could have helped more. I shouldn't have let her leave me." Hotch stated. Rossi shook his head and tells him, "Aaron you couldn't have stopped her. She needed to work through things for herself." He said quietly, "But I should have tried harder. I was too consumed with my career." Rossi tells him, "Aaron, you were dealing with a lot, too. This happened to both of you." They walk back into the conference room.

Hotch looks at Garcia "Let's get back to work." Garcia reported, "I couldn't find anything that would identify of the boy, in Jenkins file." Morgan asks, "Do you know if Jenkins kept any type of a journal? Did he ever carry one with him?" Madison replied, "Not that I remember ever seeing. He did take pictures, a lot of pictures. And, as far as I know none of me, were ever found." Rossi confirms, "Madison is right, we found photos of the other victims, but none of her. If the unsub found the photos, he may be able to duplicate some of the torture. I think the boy is the best suspect. Jenkins may have share stories and techniques."

Hotch asks, "Madison, how did the little boy act? Was he nervous, scared, did he show any emotion?" Madison paused for a moment, "He didn't show any emotion really; he would just watch whatever was taking place at that time. He didn't react; I would say he had seen these things before. He was witness to some very violent rapes and beatings. But, there was this one time, I remember, I was crying and he begged Jenkins to stop. Of course, Jenkins laughed and told him to shut up. The kid ran out the door. I felt so sorry for that little boy." She said lowering her head. Rossi took her hand. Hotch just looked at her thinking, through everything that happened to her; she never lost her humanity.

Then Hotch broke the silence and said, "Sounds like Jenkins was grooming him as a subordinate helper. We have to find him. We need to start at the Jenkins' cabin. We will leave in the morning at 7:00, see you on the plane. Madison will you be traveling with us?" She said taking a deep breath. "Yes, I will." Hotch tells the team "See everyone at 7:00. Get some rest."

As they are leaving the room, Penelope says, "Travel safe." As Madison passes by her, Penelope reaches out and hugs her. "Thank you, Penelope." Madison whispers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Rossi and Madison arrive with coffee in hand, at 6:50 and board the plane. Hotch, of course, is already seated and working. She takes the seat across from him, "Good morning, Aaron." She said with a smile. "Morning, did you get some rest?" He asks her. "Yes, I did, Dave is a wonderful host, and I may never leave. Slept very well, which was very surprising after yesterday and we had a great breakfast this morning." They both smiled. "Hey, you're are a great house guest. Plus, I want an invitation to the lake." Rossi reply. "Anytime, you want come on down." She smiled. Rossi asks, "I'm going to go make coffee, either of you want some?" They both replied _no_.

She looked at Aaron, "I was sorry to hear about Haley. How is your son?" she asks. "Thank you. He's good, almost nine. Sorry, about your Dad. He was a amazing man, he loved you very much." He said. "Thank you. He always liked you. He loved playing golf with you. We talked about those times a lot while he was ill." She smiled thinking about all of that. "That was because he always won." He said with a smile remembering those times.

Rossi returned to his seat and the rest of the team arrived. The flight is just over an hour, they discuss the case and went over the profile. Upon landing they head to the police station, Captain Dean Crawford is expecting them. They walk in, Hotch does the introductions, and they go into the conference room, which had been set up for the team.

Photos and bios of Mary Woods and Jane Ryder were already on the case board. "Ryder's family is here. Do you want to talk to them?" Crawford asks. "Yes, we do, in about five minutes." Hotch tells him. "Rossi, you and Kincade go talk to the family." Hotch orders. They walk out and into the interview room.

As they were walking down the hallway, Rossi said, "You take the lead." Madison shook her head, "I was planning on that." They enter the room. Madison extents her hand "Mr. and Mrs. Ryder, we are with the FBI. I'm Madison Kincade, and this is David Rossi. We need to ask you some questions about Jane." Mr. Ryder spoke up, "Anything, if it will help you find her." Madison asks, "Did she know anyone in this area? Are you sure she was traveling alone?" Mrs. Ryder replied, "She didn't know anyone from around here. Yes, she was alone, if anyone had been with her she would had told Laura, her sister. They talked when she was almost here. She was going to stop and get something to drink and used the restroom." She starts to cry. Madison takes her hand, "Tell us about Janie?" Rossi said. Mr. Ryder smile slightly, and began to tell them all about Janie. Her college life, her hopes and dreams for the future. Her Mom would sometimes add a story or two. Mr. Ryder, grabs Madison hand and said, "Please Agent Kincade, find our daughter." Madison said in a reassuring voice, "We are going to do everything we can to do just that. We will keep you informed." They got up; Mrs. Ryder hugs both of them. Mr. Ryder said as they are leaving, "Anything we can do let us know." Madison said, "Thank you, we will. I will talk to you soon."

They rejoin the team, and tell them about the interview with Jane's parents. The team gives the profile to Crawford and his detectives. Hotch asks Crawford, "Bruce Jenkins' cabin, is it still standing? If it is, we need to go there." Crawford replies, "Yeah, he left it to a cousin that lives in Oregon; they never been to it. So, it is pretty much the way it was the day he was killed. The police and the agents were all through it. It has been empty for the last thirteen years. What do you hope to fine?" Hotch replies, "We may find something that helps with the profile of this unsub." Rossi adds, "I was the first agent through the door that day, maybe I will remember something." Crawford shakes his head and said, "Okay, we still have the key. I will get it for you." He leaves the room. Rossi gives Hotch a look.

Garcia calls, "Go ahead Garcia, you're on speaker." Hotch tells her. "I expanded my search, a body of a woman was found north of Elizabethtown on Route 3, three months ago. She was badly beaten, but she had the same type of burns on her body." Garcia reports. "Get that file to us." Hotch tells her. "On its way." She tells him.

They go over the file of the new victim; her name was Linda Kasich, 23, went out for a run and never returned. They run the picture of the victim and put it on the board with the others. "Something is starting to stand out." Rossi said. "Jenkins' victims, were blond, brunette, whatever; he didn't have a preference. This unsub is going after brunettes only." Morgan said as they all looked at Madison. "It is the boy, and I'm his focus." Madison said. "Looks that way." Rossi nodded.

Hotch, Madison, Rossi and Reid left to go to the cabin. They pulled up in front of the cabin, Reid said, "Madison, as you go in. Whatever you remember, you need to tell us." She replied, "I will." She took a deep breath and followed Hotch into the cabin. Reid stayed beside of her, as they enter and stood in the middle of the room. "Are you okay?" Hotch asks. She nodded yes. "I was only in here two times, maybe. He held me in the building in the back." Madison told them. "Was there anything in the building with you?" Reid asks. "A mattress on the floor. He had installed eyehooks in the wall, most of the time he kept me chained by my ankle to those. The only other thing I had was occasionally a blanket of some kind." She replied. "So, he would have to stored his tools in here." Rossi said. "He carried them in a black bag. Like a duffle bag." Madison remembers. "He would set it by the door when he came in to the building." Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Are you ready to go in the other building?" Rossi asks. "Yes, let's do it." She said biting her bottom lip. "Are you sure?" Hotch asks. "I am." Madison replied knowing it was time to face this. They walk out the back door and into the building. There is a dirty mattress on the floor. She slowly walks in and then looks around at the four walls. No windows, just walls. She looks at the wall where he would hang her. Chains around her wrists and ankles, and a strap, he had nailed to the wall, around her waist. She walks over and stood in front of that spot. She looked at the down; there were bloodstains on the bare wood floor. Memories flood into her mind. She pointed to the four eyehooks spread out on the wall, and touched the leather strap. "He would leave me hanging here for hours. My arms, ankles and waist fasten tightly to wall." Madison said barely audible. She knelt down and rubbed her fingers over the bloodstains on the floor. Then gradually stood up. Madison remembers the abuse, the terror, the horror; Rossi moved over and put his arm around her, she jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said. "It's this room. This damn room." She said her eyes fills with tears. Hotch watched her, he just wanted to pick her up, carry her out of here and make her feel safe; but knew this was important for her to do.

"Madison, close your eyes. Think back to the little boy." Reid said quietly. "What do you remember?" She put her hand against the wall, shuts her eyes and takes a very deep breath, shaking as she released it. "I remember thinking, why is he here? I remember him staring at me. He had green eyes and sandy blond hair." She said as the tears were starting to flow down her cheeks. "Stay with that. What else?" Reid asks, pushing her to remember more. "As they were leaving, Jenkins said something about getting back to Mamaw's. They were walking out the door, the little boy stop, turned and looked at me. His eyes were filled with tears. Jenkins yelled at him, he called him Wayne. Oh, my god, his name was Wayne." She cried out as she opened her eyes. Hotch hugged her. "Come on lets get you out of here. That's enough," he said.

They walked back to the car, Rossi open the door and help her in. Then hands her a bottle of water. Hotch walks over, "Are you all right?" he ask as he took her hand, she was shaking. "I'm fine." She replied fighting back tears.

Before he got in the SUV, Reid calls Garcia and gives her the new information that they now have on the boy. "Oh, and Garcia, don't call back we will call you when we get to the station." Reid told her. "Is everything all right?" she asks sounding very worried. "Yes, everyone is fine. It was just a tough afternoon." He replied.

He joins them in the SUV; Rossi is sitting in the back seat with Madison. They drive back to the station in silence. As they walk in, Madison excuses herself and goes to the restroom.

About five minutes later she rejoins the group. "What do we have?" She said entering the room. Reid looks at her and smiles, "Garcia called back, Jenkins had no older relatives. She is starting to look through the elementary students during that time, named Wayne. She will let us know if she finds anything." he tells her.

It was getting late into the evening, Hotch announce, "Let's call it a night and get some dinner. We all need to rest. See you here at 7:30 in the morning." They walked across the street to the hotel. On the way they decided to meet at the café in the hotel for dinner in twenty minutes. Madison's room is in between Hotch's and Rossi's. She goes up with Rossi. "When you are ready to go downstairs call me." He told her. "Actually, I'm going to call it a day. I'm really tired." She said. "Do you want me to bring you something?" He asks. "No, if I get hungry, I will order room service. Thank you, Dave." She said closing her door. She got undressed and took a very long, hot shower, pulls on a t-shirt and pajama bottoms, laid down on the bed and turned on the television.

Rossi walked into the restaurant everyone was there. "Where's Madison?" Hotch asks. "She wasn't hungry. I think she is just exhausted after today." Rossi told the group. "I don't know how she is doing this? I don't know how you would ever get beyond what she went through." JJ said. "Going back to that place today, must have been horrible for her. Having those memories that your mind suppressed to protect you, all come flowing back." Reid said. "When did you meet her, Hotch? Did you work her case?" Morgan asks. "I met her when she was in the Academy. I was an instructor at that time. I had just started with the BAU, when she went missing. But, I was in Miami, working on another case. So, I wasn't involved with her case." Hotch told them. They continued to discuss the case during dinner. After dinner, Rossi announced he was headed into the bar for a drink, everyone but Hotch went with him.

Hotch returned to his room, removed his jacket and tie. Then knock on the connecting door. Madison opened it, "Hi Aaron. Are you checking up on me?" she asks. "No, I brought you some mushroom soup. Come on and eat it while it is hot." He said. "Thank you. Want to come on in and keep me company?" She said. He walked in to the room and sat the container on the table, then handed her a spoon and napkin. She started to eat. "This is good, guess I was hungry." She smiled. He took a seat at the table, "I knew you would eat soup. You always loved soup." He smiled at her.

"Today was a hard day. I wasn't expecting it to be so damn hard. Just being back there, made me wonder how I survived it." She told him. "You survived it, because you were strong, determined and knew how much you were loved. Your Dad and I never gave up on finding you." He said. "I know, and the two of you got me through it. You got me through it and I never thanked you for that. I would replay memories in my mind, when we met, our first date, the first kiss, our conversations, your touch and making love with you, our last weekend together. I held on to you. That helped keep me alive. So, thank you." Madison confessed.

"I did the same thing, I would sit and think about you; our life together, our future. I couldn't image a future without you." He shared. "Well, it's late, and we both need to get some rest. You looked exhausted. So, I will see you in the morning." He said. "Okay, can we leave the doors open?" she asks. "Sure, if you need me, just let me know." He added. "Thank you, for dinner and everything." she said touching his arm.

She turns out her light and gets in bed; she closes her eyes for a moment and begins to cry softly. Aaron walks out of the bathroom after taking a shower; he puts on a t-shirt and boxers. As he passes her door he hears sobbing. He stands at the door, "Maddie, is everything all right?" he asks. "I'm fine, goodnight." She replied quickly.

About five minutes later she walked into his room, "Aaron, are you awake?" she asks. "Yeah. What do you need?" He said. "Can I sleep with you. Just sleep. I don't want to be alone." She asks with tears running down her face. He didn't say anything, he folds the blanket back, she climbs in bed beside of him; he pulls her close. She rests her head on his chest. He wraps his arms around her, "Better?" he asks. "Much." She replies. They both fell asleep feeling like the piece of them that had been missing, was now found.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Aaron wakes up on his side, his arm around her as she snuggles against him. He wishes they could stay like this. He wants nothing more than to make her feel warm, safe, and loved. But, that can't be today, they have a killer to catch. He tenderly kisses the back of her head. "Mmm." she moans. "Morning." He says softly. She rolls over facing him. "Morning, thank you for understanding." She said as she rose up to the edge of the bed. He looked at her, "Anytime." She leaned down and lightly gave him a kiss on the lips. "Well, I'm going to go get ready for the day. See you at breakfast." She went back to her room.

Rossi sent them both a text that he would knock on their door at 6:45 for breakfast. Most important meal of the day, he reminded them. A man of his word, there was a knock. "Hi Dave. I'm ready." Madison greeted him. Aaron had heard the knock on Madison door. He joins them in the hallway. "Good morning." He said to both. They walked in to the café, Reid and JJ were already seated at a table, the three of them joined them. "Where's Morgan." Rossi asks. "Are you kidding? He takes longer to get ready than I do." JJ teased. A few minutes later, he walked in, everyone just glanced at him "Hey, you guys perfection takes time." Everyone laughed. They enjoyed breakfast, visited and talked about their families. Then headed over to the station.

Garcia called and told them, "Morning, my dears. I didn't have any luck with finding any students name Wayne. So, I thought maybe it was someone renting during the summer. So, I'm starting to check out rental around Jenkins' cabin. Let you know if I fine anything."

Madison said, "What if it was a kid visiting his grandmother? That would explain the calling her mamaw." Hotch comments, "The grandmother would have probably lived close to Jenkins." He dials Garcia, "Yes, Sir Hotch." She answers. "Garcia, I need you to pull property records for any home within a ten mile radius of Jenkins home starting with 1998 through 2002. Send us the list when you have it. Thanks." Captain Crawford comes in and they bring him up to date on the search. "It shouldn't be too many names, building in that areas didn't start until about 2008. Let me know how we can help." Crawford said. Garcia quickly sent them eight files. They quickly go through them and narrow it down to five. "Garcia, we need family information on these five." Madison gives her the information. "Only three have grandchildren." Garcia tells her. "Tell me about them, Garcia." She asks. Garcia let out a scream, "Bingo, I think I found something, Hazel Baldwin lived five miles from Jenkins' cabin, from 1989 until her death six months ago. She left everything to her grandson, Thomas Wayne Baldwin. Sending you his information as we speak." Madison said, "Penelope, you're amazing, my dear."

They read over the information, he lives in Albany. The team and local police leave to check out the Grandmother's house. They arrive no one is home, they search the outside of the house and find nothing to tie him to the crimes. Crawford put a surveillance team at the house. They go back to the station, Morgan and JJ head to Albany to see if they can locate him there. The others order in dinner and continue to analyze all of the information. "We need to get into the grandmother's house?" Madison said. "I know, but we need a warrant and at the moment, we don't have evidence for that. We will find something." Hotch replied. "This guy has stayed out of trouble all of his life. Lives alone, but losing his grandmother could have been the stressor." Hotch looks at the time, "Well, let's go back to the hotel and get some rest. In the morning, we will start canvassing the area to see if anyone knew the grandmother or him." They pack up and walk over to the hotel.

Hotch walks into his room and takes a shower, pulls on a t-shirt and sweats. He unlocks his side of the connecting door, but hasn't heard anything on Madison's side, yet. Finally, he open his door, to his surprise hers was all ready open. He sees her sitting on the bed, dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms, and reading over files. "Hi, busy?" he said peeking in at her. "Come in. No, just took a shower. And thought I would look this over one more time." She said with a smile. He walks in, "I just wanted to make sure you are all right tonight?" She nods, "I am. It has been a busy day, but at least we have a lead." He smiles, "Well, I will let you get some rest. See you in the morning for breakfast." He hesitates for a moment. Then he turns to go back to his room. "Aaron," he turns, "would you like to sleep in my room tonight?" She asks. "I could do that." He said.

She puts her file away, and turned down the bed. She moves under the covers, he stands at the side of the bed and strips down to his boxers. Then he lies down next to her. She moves over next to him. This feels so perfect, she thought. "Did you talk to Jack today?" She asks. "Yes, a couple of times. I try to check in with him in the morning and then at least one more time later in the day. He has a tendency to worry. So, I need to keep in touch." He said. "Sounds like he takes after you." She teased. "Yeah, he does. What about you? Anyone special in your life?" He asks. "Strange time to asking that question, Hotchner." She teases him. "Yes, I do, have someone very special in my life. Her name is Izzy, my dog." She laughs, "My last, serious relationship ended about seven months ago. He was a very nice guy, but it didn't work out." She said.

"Well, we should get some sleep." He said as he is turning off the light. She rolls over to her side and he does, also. Then he moves over against her. As they lay there spooning, he whispers, "Goodnight, Maddie." He said. She moves her top arm by his and holds his hand. "Goodnight, Aaron. I'm glad you're next to me." She whispers. They fall to sleep.

She wakes up early the next morning, "Aaron," she calls out. He comes back into her room with a cup of coffee in hand for her. "Good timing, breakfast was just delivered. So, get up, come and eat." He said. She takes a sip of her coffee. "Let me clean up a little first. And I will be in." She told him. "Here give me your coffee, and hurry up, breakfast is getting cold." He orders her.

A couple of minutes later she walks in to his room. He is sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. "Why didn't you start eating your breakfast?" she asks. "I was waiting for you." He tells her. She sits down and he uncovers their breakfast. She smiles, "So, after thirteen years, you still remember how I take my eggs? Impressive." She tells him. "I fixed you breakfast a lot of mornings. You always slept late." He says. "Maybe that was my plan to keep from having to make breakfast." She laughed. Then she thought back to the fact that breakfast was the last normal meal they had together. On June 4, 2001, they made love and he fixed breakfast for them while she finished packing. They kissed bye, he was going to Miami on a case and she was heading to New York.

They finish breakfast and talked about the day. She looked at the time. "I've got to get ready. Thanks for breakfast." She said as she pours another cup of coffee and heads back to her room "Knock on my door as you're leaving." She tells him. "I will." He assures her.

She closes her connecting door. About fifteen minutes later, Rossi knocks on Aaron's door. He lets him in, "Morning Dave, I'm ready just need to grab my files." Aaron tells him. Dave looks over at the dishes on the table and then glances at him with a smile. "We had breakfast together this morning. That's all." He shook his head as he said it. Dave just smiled as they walked into the hallway. Aaron knocks on Madison's door. She walks out, "Good morning." She said as they stopped to knock on Reid's door. He walked out "Good morning, everyone." He said.

They walked over to the station. The four of them, plus officers are going to be talking to the neighbors around Jenkins' cabins. Morgan called; he and JJ are talking with Baldwin's former girlfriend this morning. Then heading back to help with the canvassing. The area is divided into three sections; there are about thirty houses or so to cover. Area Three, the farthest from Jenkins cabin is assigned to Crawford and his team, Area Two, to Rossi and Reid and Area One the closest to Jenkins' cabin will be canvassed by Hotch and Madison.

Everyone heads out to start the day; Hotch and Madison have about twelve locations to check out. They pull back the drive, "This house is about twenty miles from the cabin." Madison reports. They walk to the front door, before they could even knock; an older man came to the door. "May I help you two?" he asks as he steps out on the porch. Hotch presents his badge, and introduces both of them. "Bill Lincoln. What can I do for you, agents?" He asks. "Mr. Lincoln, we are looking for a person who may be staying in this area." He shows him a picture. "His name is Thomas Wayne Baldwin. Do you know him?" Hotch questioned. "No, there was a Hazel Baldwin, who lived down the road a bit. But she died a few months back. We only met her a couple of times at community events." He said. "Is your wife here? How long have you lived here?" Madison asks. "No, she went into town to the beauty shop. We moved here about four years ago." Mr. Lincoln told them. "Well, thank you for your time." Hotch said they turned and left.

"I'm with the FBI?" she asks. "It is easier to introduce you as agent, than to explain why you're here." He said. "Point taken." She said with a smile. They visited the next five houses, with about the same results. No one had any information about Baldwin. As they were heading to the next house, Hotch spotted a sign for a café. "Want some coffee and lunch, and we can talk to the staff." He asks. "Sounds good to me." She replied.

He pulls in to the parking lot. They walk in and take seats at the counter. A waitress walks over and greets them, "Hi, I'm Penny." She said handing them menus. "The burgers are really good here and the soup today is tomato basil. What can I get you to drink?" Hotch smiles, "Two coffees." She smiles and turns. "I think you made a friend." Madison says with a smile. Penny returns with their coffee. "So, what can I get for you?" She asks. "I think I will have a bowl of tomato soup." Madison said. "I will have the cheeseburger platter." He placed his order. "Sure, enough honey." Penny replied and walked away. A few minutes later she walks over and warms up their coffee. "Thank you." Madison said. "Are you two vacationing?" Penny asks. "No, we are with the FBI." He shows his badge. "Penny, has this guy been in here?" He asks. "Yeah, but not for a while, it's been two, maybe three months. What did he do?" she asks. "We just want to talk to him." Hotch answers.

Penny brings the food, and we eat our lunch. It was very good, turns out the chef worked for a restaurant in New York City before coming to Blue Mountain. Hotch pays the bill, then he tells gives Penny a very generous tip and his card. "Penny, if you see the guy in the picture give me a call. I would appreciate." He said with a smile. "Sure will honey, you two have a good day." They walk to the car, "Turned on the charming side of Hotchner, didn't you?" Madison teased him. "I'm always charming." He told her. "Sure you are." She laughed.

On the way, to the next house, Morgan and JJ called; they had returned from Albany. Hotch told him go to District Two and help Rossi and Reid canvas that area. They pull into a drive about two miles away from Jenkins' cabin. It is a winding drive going back to a very secluded house. "Pretty back here." Hotch said. "A little bit too much seclusion, if you ask me." She said. He pulls in front of the house. "Doesn't look like anyone is home." He said as he was getting out. She was just sitting in the car. He went around and opens her door. "Is something wrong?" he questioned. "I don't know, just got the chills. Something about this place." Madison said. "Why don't you wait here, I will go check." He told her. "No, I will go with you," she replies.

They walk up to the door; Hotch knocks, no one answers. He knocks again. They turn and head down the steps. "Fresh mud on the porch, someone has been here." She said. "That could have been tracked up here by animals. Come on let's have a look around." Hotch tells her. Madison peeks in the front windows. Nothing looks out of place. They walk around to the back. Nothing is unusual. "Why would the shutters in the back of the house be closed?" She asks. "Well, if it a rental, maybe they haven't open it up yet." He said. "Maybe." Madison says as she walks up to the back door and knocks. No one answered. She turns the doorknob. "It's locked. Something about this place isn't right. I'm going to call Garcia, and have her do a check on the property." She states. "Fine, go ahead." He said. Madison calls and has Garcia run a complete check on the house and owners. "She is working on it."

As they got in the car, Madison stared at the house. "If we find anything, we will come back." he assured her. "If Janie is in there, I hope it is not too late." She said. They drove on the next houses, talked to the neighbors, but didn't find out anything new. Hotch talked to the rest of the team; everyone was heading back to the station.

Garcia called, "Garcia, you are on speaker, what did you find?" She asks. "Well, Madison, John and Mary Randall brought the house twenty years ago, they use it for family vacations. They live in a little town about an hour away. No renters that I can find. I haven't been able to get a hold of them yet. That's all I got for the moment." She ended. "Great work. Keep us updated." Madison told her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

By the time they return to the station, everyone else had arrived. Morgan and JJ reported. "The ex-girlfriend got a restraining order to keep Baldwin away from her. According to her he had beat her throughout their three-month relationship. But, the last time he beat her so badly she ended up in the hospital. Oh, one important fact, he liked to burn her with cigarettes. She never pressed any charges against him." JJ told them. "None of the neighbors even knew him. So, he was definitely a loner. You guys find anything?" Morgan adds.

"Not really, a lot of new owners, some knew the grandmother. Not much else." Rossi said. "It was the same for us. Some vacant houses, there is a lot of vacation homes in that area." Crawford informs them.

Everyone looks at Hotch, "We found that to be true, also. But we had Garcia, check on a house that is located about two miles from the cabin. It's the closest one to Jenkins." He said. "Why? What did you see? Anything we can use for a warrant?" Crawford asks. Hotch looked at Madison. "I ask her to check on it. When we pull up at the house, there was just something about It. Then when we walked around it, I thought it would be the perfect location for him to use. So, Garcia is checking it out. The owners use it for family vacations. Garcia hasn't been able to get in touch with them yet. They live about a hour from here." Madison reported.

"So, you're doing this out of a hunch? No offense, but we need more than that to get warrant, honey." Crawford told her. "I understand that, Captain Crawford, I went to law school." She told him controlling her anger over that comment. Then she continued, "However, if we have the owner's consent we can go in." Madison replied staring directly at him.

"Haven't you ever had a gut feeling about a case? And in this case, I trust her." Rossi tells Crawford. "Well, yeah. But we need more than that. There are a lot of vacant houses out there he could be in any of them." He argued.

"Captain Robert, I understand that. But, let me share something. I was Jenkins' last victim. So, yes, it is only a feeling and I can't explain it. But, I feel very strongly about getting in that house." She stated very sternly. Crawford look a surprised and then said, "You were held captive by Jenkins? What information do you have about the house?" Madison share what they have so far. "I will put a surveillance on the drive tonight, in case anyone go in or out. And I will send Detectives to Old Forge in the morning to talk to the owners." He said as he walked out of the room.

As Crawford left, Hotch decided to stop by his office and have a talk with him about disrespecting his agents. Madison sees Janie's parents and sister in the outer office. She looked at Hotch and said, "I'm going to go speak with them."

She walked back in about ten minutes later. Morgan asks. "Anyone up for Chinese? They say the restaurant across the street in really good." Everyone agrees. They leave the station, and head across to street to have dinner. They place their orders, then just talk and enjoy the next hour or so. Then return to the hotel for the night. Everyone is looking forward to a little rest.

Madison walks in her room, and starts to get undressed to shower. She hears a little knock on the connecting door. She puts on her robe and opens the door, "Already knocking?" she smiles. "Just checking on you?" Aaron said. "I'm going to take a shower and then I will be over." She said. He just smiled.

She left the door open, and heads in to take her shower. About twenty minutes later, Madison walks in his room. Aaron was lying on the bed with his head propped up on a stack of pillows, watching a soccer match. Madison gets in bed next to him. She cuddles up beside of him, putting her head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around her.

"Want to watch something else?" He asks. "No, I like soccer." She laughed. "When did you start liking soccer?" He asks. "I was teaching a course in Madrid, for three months, soccer was all anyone talked about. So, I had to learn the basics. Does Jack play soccer?" she asks. "As matter of fact, he does and he's pretty good." He said proudly. "Do you have pictures?" She asks. He picks up his iPad and pulls up pictures of Jack. "Oh, he is so cute. He looks a lot like you, very serious. He is a happy child, I can tell. He has your eyes." She said giving Aaron a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. You two need to meet." He said. "I would like that. Maybe, you and Jack could visit me at the lake?" she suggested. "You are a great father, but I always knew you would be." She smiled.

"You know we never talk about it. Maybe we should." He said. "I talked about it to a lot of therapists. I don't know Aaron what is there to say?" She sighed. "How you felt? How did you manage it?" He said.

"We can talk. When I found out we were pregnant on that Friday afternoon, I couldn't wait to tell you. And then when I did, you were happier than me. I can still hear you saying, _we have to get married_." He smiled remembering how excited he was that day. "Then you immediately started planning for our future. It was all so sweet. On that Monday, when I stopped at the gas station, I needed to buy some crackers and a bottle of water. I was so nausea; I remember thinking, why does my morning sickness have to start today. Anyway, the next day, I woke up hanging on the wall. As I look down at my floor, I noticed I was bleeding. I knew I had miscarried. The blood wasn't from a regular period. I didn't tell Jenkins that. I didn't want him to know what he had done to me." She told Aaron, her voice cracking a little. He hugged a little tighter. He now, understood why she ran her fingers over the bloodstains on the floor of the cabin.

"Even now, sometimes I think about you and I having a twelve year old. That would be so crazy." She said. "I think about it occasionally, when I see kid of that age. I wonder what ours would have been like." He said with a smile. "Head strong, stubborn, independent, determined, but very caring, loving and perfect. Oh, and very beautiful." She said and then kisses him. "Just like you." Aaron teased her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Madison woke up early on Thursday morning, she was thinking about the case. She knew they needed to get in that house today. They needed to find Janie. Then she looked at Aaron, it was nice waking up next to him, again. She very quietly starts to slide out of bed, just as her foot was ready to hit the floor, he put his hand on her arm, "Hey, where are you going?" he asks with one eye open. "Shh…go back to sleep. I just thought I would go get ready." She whispers. "No, come back over here beside of me. I've missed you." He faintly says. She moves over next to him. Resting her head on his shoulder, he wraps his arms around her. "I've missed you, too." She shares. They cuddle. They lay there in silence for a little while, just enjoying the early morning.

He kisses the top of her head, "You want to get to the station, don't you?" he said. "Aaron, you know me too well. But, you are thinking about the case, don't tell me you're not." She teased him. He smiles. They both sat up, she leans over and quickly kisses him. He stares at her, then gently put his hand on the side of her face, and kisses her. It was a very passionate, deep, loving kiss. After he whispered, "I think we should get up now." She giggles, "Yeah, maybe we should."

She gets up, goes to her room and get ready to head out for the day. Within twenty minutes, she pops her head back in Aaron's door. "Ready?" she asks. "Just finishing up." He replies. She walks over picks up his tie and places it around his neck. Then proceeds to tie it for him. He smiles, leans forward and kisses her. Another perfect kiss, neither wants it to end. "Let's go." He shakes his head. "Can we stop at Starbucks on the way?" She asks. "Anything you want, Maddie. Anything." He said with a smile.

They get to the station around 7:00, and immediately check to see if any new information came in over night. Nothing. Crawford walk in around 7:15, the overnight surveillance team, just came in there was no movement at the house last night.

"The good thing is, he kept the last girl for almost two months. Jane Ryder has only been missing for a week. So, we should have time." He stated. "Excuse me, Captain Crawford, but that young woman is going through hell right now. Would you like for me to tell the abuse, I went through in the first week? The first couple of weeks are the worst; you don't know what's going to happen, how often it will happen or if he will kill you. But, the worst part is you are still strong, and even through you are being drugged you feel everything. You haven't learned, yet, how to cope with what he is doing to you. You cry and pray that someone will walk through the door to save you; or that he will kill you." She said very enraged by his comment. He walks out of the room.

She turns to Hotch and says, "I just want to slap him." Hotch walks over and takes her hand. "I know, but try not to. Focus those feelings into finding Janie." He said.

At 7:30, the team walks in ready to start the day. Hotch tells them there is nothing to report from the surveillance team at the Baldwin's or the Randall's. They go over what they know about Baldwin to try to figure out where he may be.

Crawford comes in and reports, "My detective just called, the Randall's are on a cruise, until the end of the week. So, there isn't much we can do at the moment." Madison just stares at him, and then dials Garcia, "Good morning, Madison. What do you need?" She answers. "Morning. You are on speaker. I need you to find the phone numbers for John and Mary Randall's children?" Madison asks. "Such a easy request. One sec, only one Dr. Paul Randall; he lives in Boston. I'm sending his information to you now." Garcia states. "Such magic you do. Thanks, Penelope." She said.

The team looks at Madison, "Should I make the call?" she asks Crawford. "Sure." he replies. "Wait." Hotch quickly said, "Garcia, we need the next call from Madison's phone recorded. Let me know when you are ready." She tells him "Ready."

He nods his head at Madison; she calls Dr. Randall. "Dr. Randall." He said as he answered. "Hello, Dr. Randall, I'm Madison Kincade, I'm working with the FBI on a kidnapping case at Blue Mountain Lake. First, I need to let you know this call is being recorded. Do I have your permission to do so?" She asks. "Yes, that is fine. What is this all about?" he questions. "A young woman was kidnapped. We have been searching vacant houses for her. Since your parent are not available at the moment, we would like your permission to enter their house at 8520 Lakeview Road?" She asks. "Of course, Agent Kincade, that is fine. Actually, Bill Lincoln, who lives down the road, has a key in case of emergency. I will call him for you, right now." He said. "Thank you, tell him the State Police will pick it up. And thank you again for your cooperation." Madison said. "Anything to help. I hope you find her." Dr. Randall said as he hung up.

"I've already dispatched a car to pickup the key. They will meet us at the house." Crawford said. "Tell them to wait for us on the main road and to stay out of sight." Hotch ordered. The team and SWAT heads toward the house.

They arrived the State Police were watching in a drive a mile from the house. Hotch retrieves the key from the officer. The BAU will enter first, with Morgan in the lead, followed by SWAT. Madison tells them, "The shutters in the back rooms are closed, if the girl is being held in the house that where she will be." They drive up closer to house and then go in on foot.

They approach the front door, Hotch unlocks the door and they enter, securing the front rooms first. Rossi and Reid walk into the kitchen, "Clear." Rossi yells. Reid points over to the corner; there is a black duffle bag. Madison heads to the last room at the end of the hall; there is a slide lock at the top. Hotch and Morgan move in front of her, Hotch slide the lock; Morgan opens the door, they see Janie, tied to the bedpost. She opens her eyes and screams; Madison put her gun away. "Janie, Janie we are the FBI. We are going to get you out of here. It's going to be okay." JJ brings in a blanket off the bed in the other room; Madison puts it over Janie. She holds and reassures her. "Janie, no one can hurt you now." Hotch cuts the plastic ties off from her wrists and ankles. She reaches up and clings to Madison.

The squad pulls in the driveway. Morgan carries Janie out, she screaming. "Janie, it is all right. I'm here. I'm not going to leave you." They get her in the back of the ambulance and they immediately start an IV. She is severely dehydrated and beaten. Hotch looks in, "Go, I will see you at the hospital." He tells Madison. Janie was still holding her hand so very tightly. She nodded at him and smiled.

Crawford comes running into the house, "We have Baldwin, he was pick up about ten miles from here. Didn't even try to run." Hotch said, "Not surprising, he knew he had no where to go." Hotch walks into the kitchen; Rossi is going through the black bag. The branding iron is there, along with other assorted torture tools and sex toys.

They walk back in to the living room, Hotch said to Crawford, "Your team can process the scene. We are going to the hospital and then we will see you back at the station." Crawford replies, "Thank you for your help. See you at the station."

Hotch and the team goes to the hospital. As they walk in they see Madison sitting in the waiting room with Mr. Ryder and Laura. She walks over to them, "How is she?" Hotch asks. "They are still working on her. Her Mom is with her. Any word on Baldwin?" She asks. "They arrested him about ten miles from the house. He was on his way back." Hotch informed her. "That's great." Madison finally takes a breath. Just about then, Mrs. Ryder walks out, her husband and daughter walk over to her. She walks over and hugs Madison, and said "Thank you, thank all of you for finding Janie." She said crying. "The doctors said she should make a full recovery." The family went in to be with Janie.

"I'm going to stay here for a little while and talk to the family." Madison told Hotch. "Fine, we are going back to the station and pack up. Call when you are ready to come back and we will send a car to pick you up." He told her.

"Aaron, I know I have no right to do this, but do you think you could arrange it so I could speak with Baldwin?" She asks. "Are you sure want to do that?" He asks. "I think I need to do that." She tells him. "I will talk to Crawford. Call if you need me. Good job, you saved her life." He said to Madison. They left for the station.

About fifteen minutes later, Mr. Ryder came out of Janie's room. "Madison, she would like to talk to you." They walked back into her room. Madison smiled at her, "Hi Janie, how are you feeling?" she asks. "Better now. Thank you for finding me." Janie whispered. "You take care of yourself, and I will visit you in a couple of weeks. Okay?" Madison tells her. Janie smiles and falls asleep.

Madison walks over to the parents, "May I talk to you for a few minutes out in the hallway." She asks. They go in the waiting room. "I want to offer some advice and assistance. Thirteen years ago this happened to me. We explained to you that the man who did this was copying another killer, named Jenkins. I was Jenkins' last victim. So, I know that she going through. For now just love her and make her feel safe. I can send you names of some excellent therapists in the area. That is really important. She will get through this, but it is a long process. I would recommend that you don't let the police interview her for a few days. And if it is all right with you, I would love to come back up and talk to her about my recovery and how I worked my way through it." Madison told them.

They both listen with tears in their eyes, "My god, how horrible. But you give us hope that she will be fine. Yes, please I think it would be very helpful for her to speak with you. If you don't mind me asking, how long were you held?" Mr. Ryder asks. "Fifty-two days, fourteen hours, I was twenty-five years old when it happened. Well, I have go and rejoin my team. You have my card; call me anytime you or Janie need me. I will stay in touch, and see you in a couple of weeks." Madison said standing up. They hugged and thank her again. She walked out, got in to an SUV and returned to the station.

She walked into the conference room; JJ came over and gave her a hug. Madison smiled at her. "How's Janie." Reid asks. "Safe. Resting. She will be fine. They have a strong family." Madison said.

Hotch walked over, "You have fifteen minutes with Baldwin and you can't talk about the case. And I'm going in with you." He very sternly informed her. "Fine." She replied. "And the rest of us will be just outside the room." Rossi told her.

They walked down the hallway to the interrogation room, Hotch and Madison walked in. Madison takes at seat at the table across from Wayne; Hotch stand by the door. "Hello, Wayne, I haven't seen you for a long time." Madison told him. "I don't know who you are. Don't know why I'm here. I'm not going to say anything to you." He said defiantly. "That's fine, I just want you to listen. My name is Madison Kincade; I was Bruce Jenkins last victim. You would come into the building with him and watch him do horrendous things to me. But, I wanted you to know you shouldn't have been treated like that. You were not to blame for what he did to me. You were a child. In the fifty-two days I was held, the only shred of kindness I was shown was when you brought me an apple. Thank you for that." She gets up to walk toward the door; Hotch opens it. Then they heard a voice say, "I'm so sorry, I should have told someone. But he would have killed me. I was so scared. I'm sorry." Baldwin said. Then he broke down crying and kept repeating, "I'm sorry." They walked out the door and closed it behind them.

Crawford walks over to Madison, "Agent Kincade, could I speak with you for a moment over here, please." She steps away, the team goes back to the conference room; Rossi and Hotch wait on her. Crawford says, "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for any inappropriate comments I made. This entire situation has taught me a lot. Thank you." He told her. And then he hands her an envelope, "We found these in Baldwin's car. No one ever needs to see them." She opens the top of the envelope and glances in, "Thank you." She said with tears starting to roll down her cheeks. He turns and walks away, nodding at Hotch and Rossi as he passes by them.

Rossi and Hotch rush over to her, "Are you okay?" Rossi asks sounding very concerned. Hotch puts his hand on her back. "Fine. He just wanted me to have these." She replies handing the envelope to Hotch. He opens it and pulled up the contents to see what it is. "The photos that Jenkins took of you." He said with tears filling his eyes. "Crawford said no one ever needed to see them. For once I agree with him. Dispose of them for me would you, please?" Madison said. "Of course." He said. "Let's go home." Rossi said.

The three walked back into the conference room, Reid immediately asks, "Is everything all right?" Madison takes a deep breath, "Yeah, just ready to get the hell out of here." She replies. Everyone agrees. Hotch looks at the time; it was 3:15, "Wheels up in sixty." Hotch said. They walked back over the to the hotel.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Madison walks in her room and opens the adjoining door; Aaron does the same. He looks at her, "Are you okay?" he asks as he starts to hug her. She backed up, "I'm fine. But, don't hug me, I need to take a shower first." She said. "See you in ten." Madison gets in the shower and cries.

He packs his stuff and walks into her room. He see her t-shirt and pajama bottoms on the bed, he folds and puts them in her suitcase. She walks out of the bathroom in her robe, "Packing for me now?" she teases. "Just thought I would help." He replied with a smile. She grabs her panties, bra and dress; heads back in the bathroom and finished dressing. He packs the clothes she had on today in a plastic bag, then places them in the suitcase. She is standing behind him watching. He turns to her and said, "They do have an odor." He smiled.

"You look very nice. Can I hug you now?" he asks. "I would like that." She replied. He takes a step toward her and put his arms around her. Then he moved his head back and kissed her. It was a very sensual kiss. So, good they did it again. She looked at him and smiled, "We have a plane to catch. So, you better back up." She teased. "In a minute." He said kissing her, again. "After we arrive we could check into a hotel for the night?" Aaron suggested. "No, we can't. You need to go home and be with your son. He is leaving in the morning for the weekend. I will stay at Dave's tonight. Why don't you come to the lake for the weekend?" She asks. "That would be nice. I would love to." He said kissing her one last time. "Come on. We need to go." He said. He walked back into his room and they closed and locked the adjoining doors.

Soon, she heard a knock on the door, it was Rossi; "Ready?" he asks as he knocked on Hotch's door. Madison grabs her bags and joins the rest of the team in the hallway.

They got on the plane for the seventy-five minute flight. Everyone was tired; it had been an exhausting case for all of them. About halfway through the flight, Hotch moved beside of Madison, he folds his fingers around hers and smiles. Dave moved up to the seat across from them. "Are you staying at my house tonight?" He asks Madison. "Planning on it." She replied. "Just wondered." He said with a smile. Aaron smiled; Madison shook her head slightly. "I need water, you two want anything?" She asks. They both replied, no. She got up and walked away. "You feel like having a fire, tonight?" Aaron asks. "Certainly do." Dave replied. He handed Dave the envelope of photos. Rossi returns to his seat and slips the envelope in his bag. Madison return and sits across from Aaron, they sat and talked.

They land and she says goodbye to the team and thanks them for their support the last few days. Madison assures them they will see each other again. She, Dave and Aaron walk out to the parking garage, together. Aaron walks over to Dave's car and opens the door for her. "I will call you later." Aaron tells her. She nods her head; he gives her a quick kiss.

On the drive back to his house, Dave asks, "So, was it good working in the field again?" Madison replied, "It was, I always enjoy the challenge of it. Sounds odd, I know and it felt good to be a member of a team again. And your team is an excellence one." Dave agreed, "They are. When I came out of retirement, it was hard for me to work with a team of profilers. In my day, we were on our own. But, this works much better and they are very impressive. Hotch has done a good job." He smiled.

We pulled into his garage and get our bags. As Madison was heading up to her room, Dave suggested, "I think I will order dinner for us from Costanzo's. Does that sound all right?" She answers, "Sounds great. I'm going up stairs and change."

She walked back in the kitchen about fifteen minutes later. "Dinner should be here in about ten minutes. Here have a glass of wine with me while we wait." He said as he was pouring her a glass. "Thank you." She replied while sipping her wine. They walk out on the patio and sit down. "It is beautiful out here." She commented. And then she added, "I'm going to be a profiler for a moment. You want to know about Aaron and me?" She smiles.

Just then the doorbell rang; Dave went to answer the door. She walks in, "Smells wonderful." Madison tells him as he is sitting the containers on the counter. "I order the stuffed shells and penne with marinara. The sauce is good, not as good as mine, but good." He said with a smile. They fill their plates, he asks, "Shall we eat outside?" She nods her head. They take their food and head to the patio.

As they were enjoying dinner, he smiled and said, "Now, what were you saying about you and Aaron?" She laughs and responds, "This is really good." She smiles. "There isn't a lot to say, I still care about him. More than I thought I did. And it was really nice to be with him the last few days, even under horrible circumstances.

On Saturday, you told me not to shut him out. That reminded me of something Dad said a few weeks before he died. At that time I had been seeing his oncologist, and please don't psychoanalyze that, for a few months. Andrew was a very nice man, and I liked him but something was definitely missing from our relationship. But, Dad told me that the happiest he had ever seen me was when I was with Aaron. He told me to call him; life was too short to pass up a chance for happiness. Of course, I didn't; fear of being rejected. Aaron and I have history, I hurt him by leaving." She told him as tears were developing in her eyes.

Dave put his hand on her arm, "When you left, Aaron changed. He became much more serious about his life and his career. He never smiled. And he has been that way for the last thirteen years. But, in the last four days, Aaron has started to smile again. He still cares about you, and he always has. And he understands why you left. And I agree with your Dad, you both deserve happiness. Heaven know, you have both had your share of pain in life." He told her.

"Thank you. He's coming to the lake this weekend." She shared. "Good." He said.

They finish their dinner and she told him about living in Salerno, Italy for three months last year. She was teaching a negotiating and profiling course. He had been there many times, and had enjoyed his time at the coast.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Dave said, "Want a bourbon?" She quickly answered, "Yes, please." He pours them a drink, and they sit down on the sofa. Dave looked at her very seriously and asks, "I do have a very personal question to ask, and you don't have to answer it. Did Aaron know you were pregnant?" She looked at him in shock.

"How did you know that?" She questioned. "I stayed at the hospital with you until he arrived. The doctor told me. I never mentioned it to Aaron, or anyone. I ask the doctor to omit it from your medical record. I will never mention it." He told her. "He knew, we found out on Friday, June 1. We were both surprised, but so excited. When I woke up in the hospital late that night, he was sitting beside of me; I told him I had miscarried. Of course, it wasn't a surprise to either of us; I was only eight weeks. That was the only time we ever talk about it until this week. But, thank you for keeping it private. I do feel I have closure now for that time in my life. And I promise whatever may happens between Aaron and me, I'm not shutting him out." She said with a smile.

"Good, you two need each other. And Jack needs you to be in his life and his Dad's." He told her. "Thank you. It has been a long day. I'm going to turn in. See you in the morning." He stood up. She kissed him on the cheek, "Goodnight, Dave." He said in return, "Night, Madison." She heads up to her bedroom. Rossi heads into his study to light the fireplace.

Madison puts on her pajamas and gets in bed; she realizes that she misses sleeping with Aaron. About then her phone buzzes. "Hello." Madison answers. "I miss you." Aaron said very softly. "I miss you, too. I was just thinking that as I was getting into bed. How's Jack." She asks. "He's fine. We had pizza for dinner and he filled me in on his week. And then we packed for his trip to Williamsburg. He excited about being with his grandparents and cousins this weekend. How was your evening?" he questions her. "Dave and I had a nice dinner and talked. I just came up to go to bed not too long ago. So, what time will you be at the lake tomorrow night?" she inquires. "Probably, around 7:30 or so. I will leave from the office. So, I still have to pack." He tells her. "I'm looking forward a relaxing weekend with you." She tells him. "Sounds very good to me. It has been a long week. I'm glad you invited me." Aaron said. "Well, you have to pack and get up early. We should say goodnight. I miss you. Drive safely tomorrow." She quietly said. "Goodnight, call me before you leave town in the morning. I'll miss having you sleep next to me tonight." He said sounding a little melancholy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Madison went downstairs, "Morning, Dave." She said as she sat her bag by the door. "Good morning, Madison. Did you sleep well?" he asks. "I did, very. Thank you. And thank you for inviting me to stay here. It was nice not having to go into the district." She said. "It's been nice to have you here. It gets lonely in this house. I have made us my famous oatmeal for breakfast." He said with a smile. She pours them coffee and set the table. "I know how that is. I feel lonely in my house, too. Then of course, sometimes it is very peaceful." They both laugh and enjoy breakfast. They leave the house around 8:30, Rossi heads to his office, Madison to the lake house.

Around 8:45, she phones Aaron. "Good morning, Maddie, I thought you forgot about me." He answered. "Of course, not. How's your morning? Did Jack leave?" She asks. "His grandparents picked him up this morning around 8:15. He was excited. So, I just arrived at the office a little while ago. So, you are on your way home?" he questions.

"Yes, I going to stop and pick up my dog first at Donny's. Then head home. What do you want for dinner, tonight?" she asks. "It doesn't matter. Whatever, you make will be wonderful because I will be with you." Aaron said very sweetly. "That was so sweet. Sounds a little hokey. But, very sweet." She teased. "I meant it. I'm looking forward to this weekend." He said with a laugh. "I am, too. I will see you, tonight. You need to get to work and I need to pay attention to my driving. See you later." Madison told him. "Drive safely. See you around 7:30, maybe a little before. Bye." He said as he hung up.

"She is on her way home." Rossi said walking in Hotch's office. "I know, just talked to her." Aaron reported. "So, going to lake this weekend, I hear." Rossi says with a smirk. "Yes, I am. And I am looking forward to it. It will be good just to spend some time together." He said. "Good. I will tell you the same thing I did her. You two need each other. You are good for each other." He advised. "We'll see. I am happy she is in my life, again. And I know that I have missed her. So, we will see what happens." Hotch said sounding hopeful.

"I have a good feeling about this." Rossi smiled. "Oh, by the way, I enjoyed my bourbon in front a raging fire last night." He said. "Thank you for taking care of that, Dave." Aaron acknowledges.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Madison pulls into the back parking lot of the Dockside Bar and Grill, she opens the back door and takes a step in. Suddenly, Izzy appears, she is very glad that Madison has returned. "Hey, pretty Iz. How are you?" She asks as she leans down and picks her up.

Just then a voice said, "Welcome back." She smiled and replies, "Hi, Donny. Was she good girl?" He laughed, "Are kidding that dog minds better than my boys. How's everything at the FBI." He asks. She knew he was really asking about Aaron. Donny had been one of Madison's best friends since high school. So, he had met Aaron and knew their history. "Get me a cup of coffee and I will tell you all about it." She said. "Deal." He answered as he got the coffee and she sat down at a table. "I don't know where to start?" She said. "Well, I have an hour before this place opens." He laughed. "Quickly then." She laughed. Madison told him about the case and how hard it was to return to the area. And, of course, going back into that building. "Where was Aaron during all of this?" he questions. "He was with by me the entire time. We talked a lot about what happened thirteen years ago. I discovered I still care about him." She said getting tears in her eyes. "That doesn't surprise me. He was, and probably still is, a very decent man who loves you very much. Are you going to see him again?" Donny asks.

She smiles, "Yes, he is coming tonight for the weekend. A part of me wants to believe, we can just pickup where we left off. But I don't know." She replies. "Maddie, you can't pick up where you left off. You are both different people now. People change, but you both should give these two new people a chance." He paused. "I don't know him now, but I can tell you the person you are today is worth knowing. And you need someone in your life." He said. "God, you are so damn serious today. But, thanks for the advice." She said with a smile.

"Okay, I will ask you the nosy questions? Did you sleep with him?" He said with a smile. "Define sleep? We shared a bed, but it wasn't sexual, I needed to feel safe and secure. He helped me do that." She said. He looked at her; she hadn't admitted fear of any kind for the last ten years. So, that surprised him. "I'm proud of you for letting your guard down. That tells me you trust him and still care about him. Are you cooking tonight? I just got in some fresh grouper? I will fix you up." He smiled. "That would be great. How are your lamb chops?" she questions. "Excellent, I will pack you up some of those, too." He told her. "Thank you."

They walked back into the kitchen, "Thanks so much for keeping Izzy. You guys will have to come over soon for dinner. Peter and Alana are going to be in town over the Memorial Day weekend, we will all get together then." She told him. "That would be great. The kids love getting together." He smiled as he finished packing her food. "Aaron has a little boy, Jack, he's eight." She mentions. "Great, he will fit right in with the other three; just the right age. Maybe they will be here that weekend, also?" He said. "We will see. Well, I need to get home and you have a restaurant to open. You may see us sometime this weekend. Thank you for taking care of Izzy and the advice. Love you." She said kissing on the cheek. "Stop by if you get a chance; it would be good to see Aaron again. Love you, too. Don't over cook the lamb." He teased.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

They were out on the patio, when Aaron's car came in the drive. Izzy jumped up barking and headed around to the front of the house. Madison followed; by that time he was getting out of his car. They smiled at each other. "Hi." She waved and said. "God, I forgot how beautiful it is here." He said as he walked toward her. They shared a kiss and then another one. "Aaron, this is Izzy." She said with a smile. He leaned down, "Hi Izzy." He said while rubbing the dog's head. "Cute dog." He told Madison. He grabs his bag out of the car and follows her in the house. "Where should I put this?" he asks holding up the bag. She smiled and said, "Upstairs to the right, same bedroom as before." He walked up the stairs.

He returns and walks in the kitchen, "I always loved this house. It was always so comfortable." He said giving her another kiss. "Yeah, I never thought I would live here. But, after Dad died, I realized how much I loved living here. Want some wine?" She asks. "Great." He said. She grabs a fruit and cheese plate out of the refrigerator, "Let's go sit outside." She suggested. "Looks different out here?" Aaron noticed. "Yeah, Dad had everything out here redone. The pool needed repairs so he updated everything. The landscapers did a really nice job." Madison replied. "And the playground?" He questioned. "Well, Donny and his wife have two boys and Peter and Alana have a boy and a girl. And they are here a lot. So, he wanted the kids to have some fun and safe to play."

"How are all of them?" he asks. "Good, Donny was taking care of Izzy while I was away. So, I saw with him this morning. He took over the Dockside Bar from his Dad about seven years ago. He said we should stop by this weekend, if we get a chance. He married Patty about ten years ago, they have Tommy he's almost nine and Blake is seven. And Peter and Alana live in New York City; both are partners in big law firms. Oliver, their little boy is eight and Angela is four. And yes, Peter, Donny and I are still really close. They helped me through Dad's illness, of course, they loved him, too." She said. "Your Dad was a great and generous man. He helped a lot of people." Aaron told her.

"Let's take a walk." She said taking his hand. They walked to path down to the lake, holding hands and remember _the old days_. Izzy followed behind them. "We had so many great times down here. See you still have the boats." he comments. "Of course, I live on a lake. Plus, I still like to go out and watch the sunset. We may have to do that tomorrow?" she tells him. He smiled and answered, "That would be great." He puts his arms around her and pulls her close and they share a very passionate kiss. "I missed sleeping with you last night." He whispered. "I missed you, too." They stood there and continued to kiss. "Come on, let's go have dinner." She said taking his hand. They went back up to the house.

Everything was done, she just needed to grill the grouper and the lamb chops. Aaron started the grill and she took them out. While they were cooking, they enjoyed another glass of wine and shared more memories. It was a good time in her life and his when they were together. They decided to eat on the patio; it was a beautiful clear night with a full moon.

Dinner was delicious; they sat outside for another hour or so. There was a chill in the air so they went in to the house.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Madison walked over and turned on the fireplace. "That should warm up the room a little. Would you like bourbon? " She asks. "Oh, yes." He agreed. Aaron sat down in an oversized and overstuffed chair, it had an ottoman to match. She walks back in carrying their drinks. "You look very comfortable." She teased. "I am. Nice chair. Come and sit beside of me?" He said with a smile. Madison took a seat and put her feet up next to his on the ottoman. Aaron put his drink on the table next to the chair. And put his arm around her. "This is nice, sitting here with you, feet up, in front a blazing fire and sipping great bourbon. Your Dad's brand?" He asked and then he kissed her. "It is he always had the best taste in bourbon." She said kissing him. He took her drink and set it on the table. They kissed, he moved her over to his lap. Still kissing her, he ran his hand up and down her back. She moved back and then just laid her head on his chest. He held her tightly, and then he asks, "What's wrong? Talk to me. I'm here for you." She smiled and stumbled looking for words tears were forming in her eyes. He kissed her very tenderly. "I have no expectation about tonight. We are in this together." He said holding her.

She moved off his lap, "I know. I care so much about you and I've missed you." She said. He grabs her legs and puts them across his lap and hands her drink to her. "Okay, talk to me. I'm listening." He said as he leans over and kisses her. And wraps his arm over her legs. "Are you profiling me, Agent Hotchner?" She teased. "No, I'm falling in love with you all over again." He said. Madison smiled. "Good answer." She said laughing.

"I need to tell you, what I should have told you thirteen years ago when I left you on that rainy day. After, I got out of the hospital and came home with you; I thought we could pick up as if nothing had happened. And I tried. But, it got harder every day. I'm sure you remember my nightmares, the times that you would touch me and I would jump. The day I decided to leave was the hardest day of my life. As much as you love me, you couldn't help me. I didn't know if I could ever let anyone touch me again. You didn't deserve that." Aaron interrupt, "I would have waited. I loved you." He said with a very stern look on his face.

"I needed to get help and I had work through everything. I wrote that letter to you, it wasn't fair. I should have told you how I was feeling face to face. But, I was afraid you wouldn't let me go and I wanted you to have a happy life. I had so many issues at that point, I couldn't make you happy in anyway. I didn't trust anyone, not even myself." She said as she wipes the tears off from her cheeks.

"Your Dad and I looked for you. I looked for you. I used all the resources I had, and couldn't find you. Finally, your Dad called and told me you had check yourself into rehab. Which helped, at least I knew you were safe. In your letter, you told me to move on with my life I was finding that very hard to do. One day, I was talking to Jason about it all. His advice to me was, _let you be, you needed to get through this by yourself. He told me to have faith in you. And as difficult as this was on me, to think about what you were going through. _ It was the hardest thing I ever did, to move on with my life without you in it. I blamed myself for not supporting you enough, being too involved with my career." He said.

"Aaron, you were not to blame. I understand you wanted to take care of me and fix everything. You had nothing to do with me leaving and neither did Dad. You both were there for me. But, Jason was right I needed to do it by myself. I had to work my way through the all torture that he inflicted on me. And then deal with the drug addition, the depression, the feeling of being damaged and the guilt of losing our baby. It took me close to two years to do that. One day, I called Jason, and he was the one who told me you had married Haley. He said you were happy. I was so relieved that I hadn't ruined your life, I wanted nothing but happiness for you." Madison told him. "I was happy for a while, even though I never felt the way I did with you. What about you? When did you find a happy life?" he asks. "A happy life? It took about three years before I was comfortable being intimate again. And about five before I had somewhat of a serious relationship." She replied.

"Was he the man you were with at The Houston?" he asks. "When?" she questioned. "It was about eighteen months ago?" He told her. "No, that was my last relationship. We ended it about seven months ago. He was a nice guy. If you saw me, why didn't say something?" She questioned. "My date and I had just arrived and you were leaving. But, that was the night I knew that she wasn't the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." Aaron shared. He leans over and kisses Madison. "I'm not letting you run away this time. Just being with you makes me happy."

"Donny pointed out to me today, that we are both different people then we were thirteen years ago. So, we needed to get to know each other again. And I have thought about that a lot today; it is so true. We both have had challenges, sadness and happiness in our lives. And, we have changed, after all I was twenty-four when I fell in love with you and that has been the only constant in my life, my love for you." She told him with tears running down her face. They kissed a very sweet, passionate kiss.

"I feel the same, I can still remember the first time I saw you. That was when I fell in love with you and I still love you. So, we will take it as slow as you need to. But, we will spend the rest of our lives together. I have no doubts or fear about that." He said with tears filling his eyes. He kissed her and held her tightly.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

They sat in the chair and talked about the past and the future. It had been a wonderful evening. The couple went upstairs around midnight. "I have such good memories of this room." He teased. "We both do." She replied with a smile. They got ready for bed; she climbed in next to him. "It is so good to have you next to me." He said as he kissed the side of her head. "I always loved sleeping with you, even when you hogged the covers." She laughed. "I never did that. But, you always had the coldest feet." He replied. "Wait, to winter, I still do." she said. "I'm looking forward to them." He said as she moved her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "God, it was a long week. But, it brought you back to me. I love you." He whispered. "I love you." She replied. They fell asleep, both feeling safe and loved.

Madison woke up; she glanced at the clock, it was just after 4:00 A.M. She quietly got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. The blinds are opens; the full moon was shining on the lake. It was beautiful. It was a new moon, as she looked at it; she thought about the future for the first time in thirteen years. She quietly walked back in the bedroom she looked at him, still asleep. She went over and pulls back the drapes just a pinch, so the moonlight would softly light the room. She thought about how lucky she is to have Aaron back in her life. Before she gets back into bed, she pulls off her t-shirt and then dropped her pajama bottoms to the floor. Aaron was lying on his side facing her; she slid over to him and lightly kissed his lips. He sighs a little. She kissed him a little harder, rubbing her tongue over his lips. He gently started kissing her. By this time his eyes were open; he rolled her over on her back. His hand caressing her body as they kiss. He removes his clothes. They kiss and enjoy each other's touch. Then made love with so much passion and tenderness. Breathless, they held each other the moonlight still streaming in. Finally, he hugged her a little tighter, "I love you." He comments kissing her. She moved on top of him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I love you, too."

**_"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be. . ."_**

**_-Robert Browning_**


End file.
